St Johns Kindergarten is unique, you won’t find anywhere quite like us.  Our beautiful, large multi-purpose play areas adjoin a reserve which is an extension of our learning environment. With us children have the freedom to explore in their own way, at their own pace as well as participate in structured group projects. Combined with our diverse, multicultural social environment, we offer a rich and varied early childhood experience that’s second to none.

Children explore and experiment using our rich collection of loose mechanical parts and construction materials. They design and build with real carpentry and engineering tools under the guidance of our experienced teachers.

Creating murals, collages, acrylic pours, prints and ceramics happens in our art studio where art is valued as a child’s natural way to think deeply and communicate. Dancing and improvising on our keyboard and rock drum kit, or belting a song over the mic are dynamic daily occurances.

As an Environmental Action Kindergarten, we nurture children’s awareness of being part of nature while we also integrate their assimilation in the digital age, combining technological learning into our experiments with eco gardening and our experiences of other species.

Group Projects

Children are given the opportunity to work together with others on indepth projects that may extend over weeks or months. Project work involves many different activities and skills that blend science, maths, engineering and art with literacy learning in a meaningful context.

Social and Emotional Wellbeing

Learning how to learn is the main educational goal of early childhood, and we take great pride and pleasure in supporting children’s relationships with each other through their imaginative free play and our three organized groups: Pohutakawa (roughly 2-3 year-olds), Rimu (roughly 3-4 year-olds), and Kauri (4-5+ year olds). The activities of the groups vary in length and complexity according to age and the interests that arise within them.

Unlike ‘transition to school’ groups in their final few months of kindy, our groups normalize the routines and emotional demands of social living right through our children’s kindergarten experience. This long-term experience of group life also allows for better documentation of children’s progress. The youngest children’s group experiences additionally facilitate their transition from parallel to social play and enhance their oral language development.

We welcome you to come and meet our friendly team of qualified teachers and see our kindy in action.